


the pupil of dover court

by ConvenientAlias



Category: Caper Court - Caro Fraser
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Yuletide Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-21 20:24:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17049971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConvenientAlias/pseuds/ConvenientAlias
Summary: Anthony doesn't get the tenancy at Caper Court. Leo has no qualms about continuing their relationship.





	the pupil of dover court

**Author's Note:**

  * For [halotolerant](https://archiveofourown.org/users/halotolerant/gifts).



 “Well,” Anthony said to Leo when they met that evening, “I didn’t get the tenancy.”

Leo kept his expression determinedly neutral. “Oh? Well, that’s too bad.”

If he had an ounce of a soul, he knew, he’d be trying not to look ashamed. He hadn’t said a word in Anthony’s favor and had, in fact, rather talked up Edward despite the fact that Edward had only ever helped him with one very simple issue and was not nearly as good. In fact, he was trying not to look delighted. He’d known Anthony hadn’t gotten the tenancy since the morning, and all day he had felt ridiculously smug about it.

_I’m not sleeping with a co-worker_ , he would be able to say to anyone who interrogated him in the future, _and I’m certainly not sleeping with a subordinate. I’m sleeping with an intelligent young man who happens to be in the same business, but that’s none of_ your _business anyhow._

But now, having gloated all day at Anthony’s misfortune, he tried to look sympathetic. “I know it meant a lot to you.”

Anthony shrugged. “You learn a lot, being a pupil. I don’t need a tenancy right away. And Sir Basil said he’d speak to some friends at 13 Dover Court. I can get a position there.”

“Oh yes, I know them well too.” They were mostly pretty boring, but if they’d solve this little dilemma, they were a godsend. “I’m sure you’ll do well there.”

(Anthony thought to tell Leo about how his money problems had been solved by the sale of his father’s painting. To him it was quite a notable fact. But he could tell that to Leo, the money issue was not even on his mind—he might well think less of Anthony for bringing it up.)

“Well, then.” Leo finally allowed himself to smile. “Shall we get a drink to…well, not to celebrate, but to bid you farewell?”

“A bar, or your flat?”

So Anthony understood the invitation in the way it was meant. Good. Leo had known more than one man to back out after a one-night stand—hell, he’d done it often enough himself—and while Anthony had gone at it with a level of passion last night, that hadn’t necessarily meant anything about where they were at now.

“Maybe a bar and then my flat,” he said. “It’s not social suicide to be seen with a known bisexual, you know. I don’t mind being seen with you in public.”

Anthony flushed.

“Though, we don’t have to…” Leo paused. He’d been about to say they didn’t have to be immediately open about their relationship, but it occurred to him that calling what they had a relationship at this point might be a bit premature. It was more than a one-night stand, but he still wouldn’t get ahead of himself. And then, even if they did…

“A bar, then. I’ll buy,” Anthony said brightly.

“Ah, you don’t have to. I can afford it better—besides, the senior should pay, shouldn’t he?”

“Oh, I’m not worried about money.” (An opportunity to bring it up naturally! Wonderful.) “Let me tell you a funny story…”

* * *

Michael had rather expected that once Anthony was gone, he would be gone _thoroughly_. Most rejected pupils would not want to face the embarrassment of returning to the site of their disgrace. In a way he was sorry—he rather liked Anthony, after all. But then, he thought that even if Anthony showed up maybe once in a great while to say hi to him, his old superior and mentor, it would be dreadfully awkward, so perhaps Anthony showing a sense of tact would be for the best.

He had not anticipated that Anthony would in fact be showing up at Caper Court regularly, nearing once a week, and not to see him but to visit, of all people, Leo Davies.

(“Hi, Michael! Fancy seeing you here.”

Awkward smile. “Well, Anthony, I do still work here.” Even more awkward pause. “Was there something you wanted?”

“Well, I dropped by to see Leo, but I see he’s out. Would you mind giving him this for me?” An envelope exchanges hands. “Thanks, Michael! Well, I’ll see you around.”)

In particular, Anthony often showed up on Friday evenings to sort of pick Leo up when he finished his work. He would stand expectantly outside Leo’s door for sometimes half an hour before Leo got done. Sometimes he would bring his own work from Dover Court and go through it while leaning against the wall, making notes with an ever-shortening pencil. Sometimes he would step in and help Leo with whatever work he was doing, as if his pupilage was still here. Sometimes he would even call out from the doorway, “Leo, are you nearly done?”

And despite the fact that Leo was an actual workaholic, he would emerge with a slightly embarrassed look on his face, put on his coat and scarf, and leave with an apology.

It was not until Anthony had been gone for four months that Michael finally put it together, and then it was only because he happened to look in the door of Leo’s office during one of Anthony’s visits and saw something he had not expected. Leo immediately pushed Anthony away and shut the door in Michael’s face.

“Corrupting the youth, Leo?” he asked later.

Leo gave him a Look.

Michael was instantly abashed. “Not that I…well, I mean, it’s just that Anthony’s a bit young for you, isn’t he?”

Leo shrugged. Apparently he’d decided to let Michael’s faux pas slide. “He’s the one who chose to be a barrister. That’s embracing corruption already.”

“Ah. Well. About his career—how is that going anyway? I haven’t spoken to him in quite a while.”

Leo launched into a story of a civil litigation suit and the troubles of a new pupilage with more energy than Michael would have expected. That, combined with the fact that it _had_ been four months that Anthony had been visiting the office…Hm. Most of Leo’s affairs were brief and didn’t really go anywhere. Maybe this was something a little more substantial.

Michael hoped so, for Anthony’s sake. After all, he’d quite liked the lad. He didn’t ask Leo, of course. One could never ask Leo Davies, shrewd lawyer and shrewder lover, to explain what, exactly, was going on between him and his most recent paramour. At least, Michael couldn’t.

* * *

Anthony knew exactly what he was to Leo Davies.

Sort of. Well, close enough?

“Lovers” was what Leo tended to call it, so that was the definition Anthony was going with. It seemed like it was pretty serious at least, because it had only been four months and Leo was asking Anthony to move into his flat.

Anthony declined.

“Why not?” Leo said irritably.

“I just am not sure it’s practical. You’re not as close to Dover Court as my current flat, for one, and there would be a lot of things to move. And I’m sure you’d get sick of me in your space, anyhow.”

Leo shrugged. “Fine, then. Have it your way.”

He gave in easily enough that Anthony rather wondered if he hadn’t meant the offer to begin with, or whether he’d expected Anthony to be against it from the beginning. In any case, it was none of those worries, really. It was more reasons Anthony would have had a hell of a time explaining. To put it simply, he’d moved in with Brigid and he’d moved in with Julia and both those relationships had ended with disaster. And he had a feeling it was because in both cases the relationship had gotten too boring, they’d gotten too used to each other. Anyone would get tired of each other when they spent all day and night together. It was a good thing already that Anthony and Leo didn’t work together, so Anthony could remain apart from Leo’s everyday. He wasn’t going to waste it.

“Don’t be grumpy,” he said. It was a bold move—could amuse Leo or easily make him even grumpier. “If it makes you happy, I’ll stay over a weekend. Then you’d see.”

“We’ve spent longer than a weekend together before.”

“Well, what if you moved into my flat?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“So you see.”

They looked at each other. It was the kind of moment that was going to go one of two ways. It could become a fight, a real fight. Or…

Anthony slid onto Leo’s lap. “Hey.”

Leo sighed. His kiss on Anthony’s lips was just a little angry, still, but in a few minutes he’d forgotten all about the anger. The evening turned in a more pleasant direction.

_Maybe_ , Anthony thought, _in a few months. In a year. If we still…_

He thought they would probably still. As long as they took it slowly.

Until then, he was still sleeping in Leo’s bed on the weekends, and he had a drawer at Leo’s place and a toothbrush in his bathroom, and Leo was calling him a “lover”. He was still working without a salary at Dover Court and longing for the title of tenant, but between the two titles, the former, and Leo, was what he preferred.

**Author's Note:**

> I found this series thru the fandom pimping post and I really liked book one but that's all I've read so far. Thanks for the fandom rec! I hope you enjoyed my fic.


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